F1 – The Movie: Brad Pitt's latest follows usual sports movie formula to get over the line

A vibrant, extravagant crowd-pleaser, the kind that Tom Cruise likes to make in between Mission: Impossible outings, F1: The Movie was purposely designed to make audiences sweat, to get the blood pumping, to somehow convince us Formula One racing is the only sport worth caring about.
It isn't, not by a long shot, but Pitt's film, directed by Top Gun: Maverick chief Joseph Kosinski, comes with a rumoured $300m budget. It was also produced with the full cooperation of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile (FIA), governing body of the Formula One World Championship. In other words, this pricey, confident picture looks and, indeed, sounds the part.
Everything is dialled up to 11. If Pitt's swanky motor misses a corner, we feel it in our gut. If one of his opponents spins and crashes, you start to worry for their safety.
Throw in a muscular dad-rock soundtrack – a bit of Led Zeppelin here, some Queen there – and this thing will rattle your bones and loosen the screws in your seat.
Mind you, all the money in the world won't fix an iffy screenplay, and F1: The Movie (that title stinks, by the way) is about as derivative a sports drama as they come.
Swap the cars out for fighter jets, and you have a Top Gun picture. Give Pitt's protagonist a fedora and a leather coat, and he might pass for Rocky.
With various real-life professionals lending a hand (Ferrari driver Lewis Hamilton is a producer), Kosinski's film comes dangerously close to resembling a glorified commercial for the FIA.
What next, you wonder? FIFA World Cup: The Motion Picture? Tour de France: The Mini-Series?
You wouldn't bet against it, and Pitt and his co-stars, Javier Bardem (devouring the scenery) and Kerry Condon (explaining the technical bits), are forced to dance around one too many hilarious product placements. Listen, if it helps pay the bills.
Our story begins, as these things usually do, with a heady blast of rock and roll. Say hello to Sonny Hayes (Pitt), a driver-for-hire who used to have the world at his feet.
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Back in the 1990s, Sonny was the next big thing in Formula One. A gnarly accident changed everything – so, too, did a rotten gambling addiction – and our ageless hero now lives out of his van.
There is no silver lining, no five-year plan. Today, he might help one squad win the 24 Hours of Daytona; tomorrow, who knows?
Enter Ruben Cervantes ­(Bardem), owner of the Apex Grand Prix team. The Apex crew have had a rough season – they need a win, maybe even a miracle, and Ruben, an old pal of Sonny's, needs someone special to help him from going broke. He needs Sonny to drive again, ­basically.
Before you can say 'nice wheels', Sonny is back on the track, where he belongs, much to the annoyance of Apex hotshot Joshua 'JP' Pearce (Damson Idris) and technical director Kate ­McKenna (Condon, holding on tight to the Tipperary accent).
You'll hardly need to be told what happens next. Yes, the veteran driver clashes with the rookie superstar. Yes, the brainy car people invent new ways to drive faster. Meanwhile, poor Kate inevitably falls for beautiful Brad, and at least one of our contenders ends up in the hospital.
F1: The Movie won't win any points for originality, but I guess we're not here to watch Pitt rewrite the sports feature rulebook.
Some patterns are there to be followed, and this noisy, exuberant enterprise is happy to oblige. Kosinski's joint isn't quite as gripping as, say, Ron Howard's Rush, nor is it as charming as James Mangold's Ford v Ferrari. Those films had a decent story under their hoods; not this one, and the flashy, cinematic sports ad stops being fun whenever ­Sonny and his pals exit their vehicles.
Enthusiastic performances help. Condon (delightful, as ever) and Bardem (collecting a well-­deserved pay cheque here) make the most of a hackneyed set-up, and our central warrior is his usual unflappable self.
Pitt has now entered his Paul Newman phase: he makes everything sound good, even when it isn't.
But I do wonder if another old-school movie star might have been better for the role. We mentioned a more suitable candidate's name at the top.
Worth a trip to the pictures, all the same.
Three stars

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